Endless conveyer



`une 1l, 1929. H, D, HAMPER l 1,716,633

ENDLESS CONVEYER Filed May 28, 1924 Patented June 11, 1929.

UMTED STATES 1,715,535 PATENT orner.

HENRY'D. HAB/KEER,r OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO VLTESTERN W'HEELEDi `SCPtAPERiCOll\f['P.LI\l'Y, OFLAURORA, ILLINOIS, A, CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

i ENDLnss coNvEYER.

applicati@ med nay 2s,

rI'his invention relates to improvements in endless conveyers primarilyintended ifor use in connection with `elevating grading machines. Insuchv nmachines the elevator that extends laterally from the wheelediframe ol the grading machine is Ausually of considerable length sons tocarrythe dirt that is deposited on it in the usual manner to the properdistance to discharge it over the upper end of the elevator into awagonor other vehicle standing at a distance rom the side or' the machine.`Various mechanisms are provided f on the machinejfor varying theinclination of the elevator, and in order not to have to adjust theentire elevator each time that it is desired to vary the'height of, thedischarge end of' the elevator-.it has been common to construct suchelevator of two alined sections hingedI together so Ythat the outersection alone could bemovedvertically to secure the desiredheight ofthedischarging end. Such jointing or hingingtogether of the two sections informer constructionshas, however, beenobjectionable in that by reason ofwear f or slight imperfection of lit ot the hinge mem-v bersthe axes ofthe'sprockets carried by the two sections and over which. the drivechain runs,.and also the axes of the drums or rollers at the endsoil theelevator frame, vwould not be in perfect parallelism, as of course isnecessary for perfect driving and smooth, easy movement of the endlessconvcyer Athat runs over such drums or rollers. ItV is the object of .myinvention to provide'improved means for so connecting the two sectionsof such an elevating apparatus ltogetherthat they can be broughtinto'pertect'lateral alinement and so maintained, and thus, because ofthe resulting parallelism of the axesy of the driving sprockets and ofthe drums or rollers that the belt runsl over, ensure the desired smoothand accurate movement of the belt.

Fig. l is a side elevation of inner end portions of the two sections ofa grading machine elevator, said sections being connected togetherbymeans embodying the invention;

ligz is view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section yillustrating theV improved connection of the elevator sections, someof]V the elevator rparts being partly broken away; andl Fig. 3 is avertical crosssection taken substantially on the line of Fig. l.

Referring to the severaliigures of the draw- 1924. Selial No. 716,42*?.

ings,-l0 and lO:l indicate the side members of the inner and outersections or" the elevator frame of al grading machine, which sectionsare hinged together ior relative vertical swinging, and, as hereinafterparticularly de scribed, are so connected that at all times thecorresponding side members of both sections may be maintained in thesame vertical plane, whereby the axes of the sprockets of the drivingmechanism, and the axes of the rollers over which the conveyer belt runswill always be parallel-it being` understood that one of the sprocketwheels will be mounted upon one y each elevator frame section are aplurality of brackets 12, one of which is shown in connection with eachsection, which brackets project above the upper margins of the members10, l0:L and overhang the belt l1, as shown in Fig. 3, and to suchbrackets are secured side boards 13 whose lower edges are close to saidbelt, so that such side boardsform means for retaining-on the belt thedirt that the belt is carrying for delivery Yfrom the lower to the upperend thereof. 14 indicates rollers ournaled at intervals on the elevatorframe and acting as intermediate supports for the belt 11i, as usual.The side boards 13 are preferably formed of channel iron, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3, and the adjacent ends of said side boards are offsetand overlap, as shown in Fig. 2, so that, together with the4 belt, acontinuous unbroken passage is formedV from oneend of the elevator tothe other. As shown in `Figs. l and 2, the lianges of the side boardslare cut away adjacent to their adjoining ends sufficiently to permit ofvertical .movement of one section relatively 'to the other whenftheouter section of the elevator, which is the/one the side members oitwhich are here indicated by l0, is independently moved to raise or lowerits upper or discharge end. y

The two elevator frame sections are hingedly secured together by similardevices secured at opposite sides of the elevator, as clearly shown inFig. 2. As shown, each of the two side members of one of the framesections-those numbered 10 in the construction shown-has bolted. to it astationary hinge member 15 in the form of a bar having a yoke-shapedhead 16, which head projects beyond the outer end olf the side member towhich it is secured. rlhe cooperating hinge members 17 are connectedwith the side members 10 of the outer trame section and each is in theform of a stem, preferably angular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3,having a yoke-shaped head 18 similar' to the other head 16, and ascrew-threaded shank 19 that, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, is oilisetrelatively to tie stem so as to lie at a distance from and substantiallyparallel with the side member 102L of the elevator frame with which itis connected. rl`he hinge members 17 are not bolted or immovably fixedin place as are the hinge members 15, but the stem ot each hinge member17 is slidingly supported against a side member 10fi of the elevatorframe by guide means in the orm of a hood or casing 2O that is shaped toapproximately conform to the shape of the stem, such hood or casingbeing secured to the side member 10d by bolts 2l, as best sh own in Fig.3. Preferably this hood or casing will be ribbed as at 2Q forstrengthening purposes. The offset screw-threaded shank 19 of each hingemember 17 passes loosely through an eye in an abutment or bracket, 23that is bolted to the face of the adjacent side member 10'VL and uponopposite sides of this eye are nuts 24 that are screwed upon the shank19. 25 indicates a pintle that passes through the two interlappingyokeshaped heads 16 and 18 of each pair oi* hinge members for thepurpose of pivotally connecting them together.

1t will be evident that with the two sections ot an elevator iframehingedly connected together in the manner described, the outer or uppersection of the elevator frame can be swung up or down to raise or lowerits discharge end as may be required to suit varying conditionsand it'for any reason the connection of the two sections is such that the outersection becomes slightly deflected laterally so that the axis ot thesprocket wheel, and the drum or roller that it carries, is not inperfect parallelism with the similar parts carried by the other section,such deviation rom parallelism can be very easily remedied, as all thatneed be done is to loosen the nuts 24, and then, after swinging theouter section laterally to bring it into lateral alinement with theother section, said nuts can again be tightened up against theirrespective eyes 23 to hold it in position. IThe slight lateral shiftingnecessary to produce this correct alinement can be accomplished byloosening the proper one of each of the pairs of nuts 24 and thenscrewing up the other nuts of such pairs so that when the two sectionsare properly alined the apertured ear portion of each bracket 23 will belirmly clamped between the nuts. The holes in the brackets through whichthe Shanks 19 pass are of sufliciently greater diameter than such shanksto permit this sidewise adjustment to be readily made, and during suchadjustment the stems of the hinge members 17 slide easily in the guidesformed by the hoods 2O and the adjacent outer faces of the frame members10a to which such hoods are secured.

By my invention perfect alinement of the two sections is always easilyattainable, and consequently the sprockets that are carried respectivelyby the two elevator frame sections may be kept in proper alinement sothat excessive wear on the chain and sprockets will be prevented and thebelt caused to run smoothly and evenly.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

1. An elevator for elevating graders comprising adjoining inner andouter frame sec-- tions, an endless belt supported by said sections,hinge members connecting said sections together for relative verticalswinging, guide means for one of said hinge members permittinglongitudinal shifting motion of said hinge member relative to thesection on which it is mounted but preventing swinging motion thereofrelative to said section, and screw threaded adjusting means foreffecting 1ongitudinal shifting motion of said latter hinge member,whereby said inner and outer frame sections can be relatively adjustedlaterally with reference to the run of the belt.

2. An elevator for elevating graders comprising adjoining inner andouter frame sections, an endless belt supported by said sections, hingemembers secured to the side portions of said sections and connectingsaid sections together for relative vertical swingmg, one of said hingemembers being adjustable relative to the section on which it is mounted,guide means for confining the adjustmg motion of said hinge member to arectilinear movement substantially longitudi-` nally of said section,and a pair of threaded members cooperating with said latter hinge memberand through which the adjustment thereof is effected, said threadedmembers serving positively to move said hinge member in either directionin the adjustment of the latter.

3. An elevator for elevating graders comprising adjoining inner andouter frame sections, an endless beltsupported by said sections, hingemembers secured to the side portions of said sections and connectingsaid sections together for relative vertical swinging, oneof said hingemembers being adjustable longitudinally of the section on which it ismounted and having a screw threaded shank, an eye carried by the lattersection,

through which eye said shank extends, and nuts screwed on said shank atopposite sides of said eye for adjusting said hinge memberlongitudinally.

4. An elevator for elevating graders comprising inner and outer framesections, an endless belt supported by said sections, cooperating pairsof hinge members secured to the side portions of said sections andconnecting said sections together for relative vertical swinging, theconnected ends of cooperating hinge members having yoke shaped headsinterlapping one within the other, pintles passing tirough apertures insaid yoke shaped heads, one of said hinge members being adj ustablelongitudinally of the section on which it is mountedv and having a screwthreaded shank, abutment means on said latter section cooperating Withsaid shank, and nuts screwing on said shank and adapted to bear againstsaid abutment for adjusting said hinge member longitudinally and forsecuring the same in adjusted position.

5. An elevator for elevating graders comprising inner and outer framesections hinged together for relative vertical swinging, said sectionshaving side members, hinged members mounted on the adjacent end portionsof said side members, hoods securedto the side members of one of saidsections, tl e hinge members mounted on the latter side members beingslidably supported by said hoods for movement longitudinally oitl saidside members and having screw threaded shanks, eyes carried by thelatter side members through Which l said Shanks extend, and nuts screwedon said sh anks for adjusting said hinge members longitudinally tomaintain alinement of said inner and outer frame sections.

HENRY D. HAMPER.

